Big Ten "likely" to change its divisions at some point soon?
February 29th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
That is all.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:25 PM ^
Why does something have to change every Goddamn year?!?!
February 29th, 2016 at 3:44 PM ^
If they got it right from the start, then they wouldn't have had to keep changing it, amiright? Seriously though, I was hoping for a Big Ten North and Big Ten South. Would have kept the competitive balance pretty even.
North
Michigan
MSU
Iowa
Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Rutgers
South
OSU
PSU
Nebraska
Illinois
Indiana
Purdue
Maryland
February 29th, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
So when do you want to play the Game? Midseason?
Michigan and OSU have to be in the same division if we want the Game to still finish the regular season. Otherwise there is the absurd possibility of playing on back-to-back weeks.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:32 PM ^
We had this scenario for a few years with the Leaders and Legends divisions, and we still played the Game at the end of the season. No one complained except for Dave Brandon, who wanted move the game to October. I don't see why it would have worked then but not now?
February 29th, 2016 at 4:50 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 4:51 PM ^
After 2006 I think a rematch scenario at a neutral site is acceptable.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:56 PM ^
If it's for the national title, and with a month off in between, that's one thing. But to play on back to back weeks is dumb.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:52 PM ^
Playing on back to back weeks would have been lame. It never came up, but if it had everyone would have complained about it. It's much better to just stay in the same division.
February 29th, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^
This^. Michigan and Ohio State need to be in the same division with The Game played as the last game of the regular season. Period.
February 29th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
No one complained except for Dave Brandon,
Actually a lot of us complained. While it was better than playing in October, the possibility of playing on consecutive weeks was a big problem. It would make the first game meaningless.
The SEC and Pac-12 have never split up archrivals. The ACC has, because it's stupidly run. It was ridiculous of the Big Ten to copy the ACC blueprint. Michigan-OSU should be played once per year, period.
And as noted, there is a real competitive-balance problem when Michigan's crossover is OSU and the other Legends/West/whatever teams are playing Indiana and whatnot.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:53 PM ^
Not only that, but you could have a situation where the first game is meaningless in the terms of the national title.
Imagine, if both teams were 11-0, we would know that not only would they play in back to back games, in the event of a split the team that won the conference title game would likely be in the playoffs and the other team on the outside looking in....in essence making The Game devalued.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 2:35 PM ^
If there is one thing I've learned from this blog, it's that everything can somehow be blamed on either Rutgers or Dave Brandon.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:40 PM ^
Don't sell Delany short - he's a tremendous slouch as well.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:52 PM ^
We have the Rutgers/Brandon/Delany to blame. In no particular order...
February 29th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^
or Penn state
February 29th, 2016 at 3:15 PM ^
Or herpes...
February 29th, 2016 at 3:21 PM ^
Damn you Kathy Sue Loudermilk....
February 29th, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 3:07 PM ^
I think that another proposal needs to be on the table wherein Rutgers is moved to the Big Ten West but in reality is part of a three-way trade with other conferences. I think we may just have to hope then that the "team to be named later" is a rather good team, or at least better than the Scarlet Knights....or indeed the Boilermakers.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:31 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 2:32 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
Then maybe they'd flip them back?
February 29th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 4:03 PM ^
ever since the last realignment process started. I have a hard time picturing Michigan ditching their main rivals just to be in the easier division.
I don't understand your point. Are you saying that Purdue is going to surpass MSU soon and make the divisions more unbalanced than they are now? It'll serve MSU right if this undermines their recruiting.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:31 PM ^
Sparty wants to be in the West because they know their temporary "superiority" to Michigan is an aberration which is already in the process of correction. Despite their bluster and hatred, they don't want to play a fully-restored Michigan program every year, nor do they want to compete with Michigan in the same division.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:53 PM ^
Do you really beoieve that bullshit?
February 29th, 2016 at 5:40 PM ^
Fine with me. Move to the West and try your luck there.
But don't expect a protected rivalry crossover game with us every year. We'll play them once every four years like Wisconsin. Just another team from the West.
February 29th, 2016 at 6:25 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^
If MSU doesn't remain as strong, they'll likely still win the sad West division. Sparty would have to experience a severe dropoff to lose multiple games vs. West teams. I think this move would help soften any decline.
November 25th, 2018 at 8:46 PM ^
They lost multiple games to the West this year.
November 25th, 2018 at 8:54 PM ^
They lost multiple games to the West this year. That's why I multiple posted it.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^
I have no problem with it. Lightens our path and makes the divisions fairer. HAndle your own business and don't worry about whether MSU's path becomes easier or not. Recruiting wise, it does move them farther away from Ohio and Pennsylvania, which are states they need to recruit hard in order to succeed.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^
How does it lighten our path? Our path is exactly the same, where as everyone else in the East gets easier.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^
It won't lighten our path because we'll get a protected rivalry game with MSU. There is no way the MSU game drops off the schedule.
In fact, it'll be the opposite - if MSU remains good, that means we'll often have a tougher schedule than our East division rivals, who will miss them about half the time.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:29 PM ^
I could not care less if we have a protected rivalry with MSU. Let them rotate on and off the schedule with the rest of the Big Ten West teams.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:33 PM ^
But MSU cares, so it will stay.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^
IDK...MSU might just be smart to move to the West where the path to the Conference Championship game is almost always going to be easier than in the East.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:49 PM ^
They might want to switch divisions, but they will never agree to drop the annual series with us.
February 29th, 2016 at 5:41 PM ^
They would if they were smart.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:53 PM ^
but no one else. I wanted this when they realigned a few years ago. I do not care about MSU, or Purdue, or Illinois or Indiana or Wiskey. Keep them on a every-four-year rotation.
I understand this is not popular for those of us who live in SE MIchigan. But in the big picture, most M Alums really dont care about MSU anymore than other B1G Teams Save Ohio State. I would drop MSU in favor of ND anyday.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:31 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^
I dont care if "they" talk about us. Who cares? When Jimmy starts to beat OSU consistantly and going to the playoff every few years, "they" will be muted.
February 29th, 2016 at 5:05 PM ^
We are not going to stop playing our instate rival. We'll play them every year, either in our division or in a crossover. I can't envision any scenario in which they drop off the schedule.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:38 PM ^
I don't think skipping MSU would be nearly as bad as the not playing Notre Dame thing that is going on now. I fully support not playing MSU. Though, I am not sure this changes anything as far as divisions go. Purdue and State are about the same if things go back to there historic norms.
February 29th, 2016 at 3:52 PM ^
MSU will scream bloody murder if we try to drop them from the schedule. They'd probably take it to the state legislature.
February 29th, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
us, OSU and PSU. It's fair for the East division and MSU still gets to play in the weaker division like they want.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^
MSU should never have been allowed in the B1G in the first place. They like playing MAC teams a lot. They should leave and join the MAC. That would give them a lifetime of DISRESPEKT to leverage...